The weather has not been ideal for the cultivation of potatoes in Castile-Leon, the largest potato producing region in Spain, accounting for around 40% of the country's total volume. The yields have been lower this year. There is also a greater abundance of small sizes and more health issues, although the market remains stable.
This has been reported by Juan Manuel Coello, Operations Manager at Patatas Meléndez, a leading company in the production and marketing of washed potatoes for consumption, with about 16% of the market share in Spain. The company was close to reaching 160,000 tonnes of potatoes last season; a figure that it expects to exceed this campaign.
"When the sowing period started, there was a lot of uncertainty after a very dry winter and the main concern was whether we would have enough water. Then, however, there was abundant rainfall that ended up delaying the planting, which took place in late May. The planting was carried out in excessively humid conditions and later there have been occasional heat waves, as well as various storms. This has led not only to lower yields, but also to the appearance of fungal diseases. Also, as in the rest of Europe, the calibres have generally been smaller. However, we'll have a good supply at every moment of the campaign thanks to a good planning in the field," he explains.
Regarding prices, Juan Manuel Coello says that they are being interesting for all links in the chain, and that the market is generally marked by stability. "There is a notable price difference between the premium quality batches with good calibres and those of more standard qualities." Still, in both cases, the prices are satisfactory. We could say that they stand at an average/high level due to the lower yields. Depending on how the quality of the products develops, the premium batches could even rebound slightly."
Patatas Meléndez is based in Castile-Leon, although it also markets potatoes from other areas and imports them during the off-season in order to be able to supply potatoes all year round.
"We are usually the first to start the Spanish new potato campaign in Murcia and Andalusia in April; later, in July, we continue with the potato harvest in Castile-Leon, which lasts until November. From that moment onward, we get our supply from second harvests in Spain and from other countries, such as Israel or Morocco, in order to continue offering seasonal potatoes.
Furthermore, we import potatoes for storage from France, although our goal is to be able to supply seasonal new potatoes all year round, as we believe that both their agronomic and culinary properties are superior to those of potatoes for storage. That would be really good for our customers."
Potatoes Meléndez distributes its potatoes in both the national and international markets. Exports go mostly to countries like Portugal, due to its proximity, as well as to northern countries such as Belgium, Germany and France. "This year, we are exporting a lot to northern European countries because there has been a shortage due to the impact of dry weather and heat waves."
For more information:
Juan Manuel Coello
Patatas Meléndez
T: +34 983 812 920